Jail for addict who stole steaks from Worksop

Gareth Larner’s theft of five sirloin steaks, worth £30, from the Co-Op, on January 28, triggered the arrest, on March 13.

He told police he spent £10 to £20 on heroin per day, and had just prepared a syringe of heroin but the officers turned up before he could use it, said prosecutor Neil Hollett.

The theft put him breach of a 14 week suspended prison sentence, imposed on September 28 for theft, as well as a conditional discharge, from December 26.

The court heard he had only attended three meetings with a drug worker out of the 14 he had been offered, and had not completed any rehabilitation days.

Simon King, mitigating, said Larner, who has a “long-standing” drug problem, only received £191 of the £291 Universal Credit he normally gets per month, and this put him into financial difficulties and led to the meat theft.

He said Larner had trouble attending the meetings in Chesterfield because his father took him to Worksop during the days, rather than leave him alone in the house.

Larner, 35, of Bellhouse Lane, Staveley, admitted the theft, possession of heroin, and breaches of the court orders, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

The 14 week sentence was activated, and four weeks were added for each of the other offences, making a total of 26 weeks in prison for him.

He was also ordered to pay compensation to the Co-Op.

For more of the most recent cases from Mansfield Magistrates Court go here.